title: Pharyngeal pressure generation during tongue-hold swallows across age groups.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effects of the tongue-hold swallowing maneuver on pharyngeal pressure generation in healthy young and elderly research volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-eight healthy research volunteers (young, n = 34, mean age = 26.8 years, SD = 5.5; elderly, n = 34, mean age = 72.6 years, SD = 4.8; sex equally represented) performed 5 noneffortful saliva swallows and 5 tongue-hold swallows each. Amplitude and duration of pharyngeal pressure were investigated during both swallowing conditions with solid-state pharyngeal manometry at the level of the oropharynx, hypopharynx, and upper esophageal sphincter (UES).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At both pharyngeal levels, tongue-hold swallows produced lower peak pressure compared with saliva swallows. During tongue-hold swallows, UES relaxation pressure was increased in the elders, whereas the younger group displayed a trend toward reduced relaxation pressure. Elderly individuals produced pressure longer during control swallows in the oropharynx and hypopharynx than young individuals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tongue-hold maneuver affects oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal pressure in the young and elders in similar ways, whereas effects on UES peak relaxation pressure differ between age groups. Reduced pharyngeal peak pressure and increased UES relaxation pressure underscore the notion that tongue-hold swallows should not be performed when bolus is present. Long-term training effects remain to be investigated.
authors.affiliation: University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. sebastian.doeltgen@adelaide.edu.au
authors.forename: Sebastian H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Doeltgen
authors.forename: Phoebe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Macrae
authors.forename: Maggie-Lee
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Huckabee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D049631:Esophageal Sphincter, Upper / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007830:Larynx / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000502:physiology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000502:physiology*; D014059:Tongue / Q000502:physiology*